car update

[juldea]

Well, I did manage to get my car back today. I didn't actually get to speak with a mechanic about it - they left the keys in it for me (locked; I have a spare) and I picked it up from their lot. The invoice does say "one battery $36", but if the problem were with the battery, wouldn't it have been fixed with a jump-start from goldbug? Hmm. Oh well, it was cheap, and now it's working.

I just got STUFFED with chinese food for $3.50 total. Quick, you only have 15 minutes left to do the same. The chinese place on north Berry does a 2-for-1 deal on their dinner buffet on Friday nights. Tiffany and I went. Yum.

Now, it's almost time for work. I'm tired now and I have to be awake for another 7 hours at least. Here's to caffeine!!!

Comments

[adalius.livejournal.com]

a) Do you remember to put water in your car battery every now and again? If not this can seriously limit the life of the battery.
b) Batteries lose what we call a load ability, basically over time, quicker if they don't have water in them, especially in winter, they lose the ability to put out enough amperage to turn your starter, but they still hold 12V of charge, so basically it's full but not strong, a jumpstart won't help that. However if you're hooking the leads to the terminal cables you should have been able to start the car off the other battery, but it would either die as soon as the cables were disconnected if it didn't have enough power to spark, or you'd need a jump every single time you tried to start it. In either case, check your battery's water levels.

[baronbrian.livejournal.com]

a) Do you remember to put water in your car battery every now and again?

I thought modern batteries were sealed and you couldn't do this for safety reasons?

Re:

[adalius.livejournal.com]

I've only seen a few brands that are sealed. All the ones we use at work aren't, nor are the diesel batteries we use, and even dumped over when uncapped they don't spill anything caustic out unless the inner tank ruptures.

Re:

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I have never, in my entire 22 years of life, heard anyone say anything at all about watering batteries.

Re:

[adalius.livejournal.com]

Grin, yea, most batteries (unless as was just mentioned, you have a sealed battery) they need the two caps popped open on them, most have, 6 cells? I think... and you need to put clean water in them. The holes are kind of..pushed into the plastic, so they have walls that go like 1/2" from the top of the battery, you fill them with water right up to where they touch the plastic.

sealed

[eor1312.livejournal.com]

i know everybody in my family has a sealed battery. i heard the other kind is supposed to be dangerous as well.